


The Broken Halves of a Whole

by CanineKitten



Category: Naruto
Genre: After the final fight, Feels, M/M, silly boys in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-07-07 10:54:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15906846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanineKitten/pseuds/CanineKitten
Summary: Sasuke demands answers.





	1. Friend

**Author's Note:**

> What is this? A G-rated fic from me?! I'm shook. Anyway, I realized that I had a few drabbles that I've posted on Tumblr but not here, so I thought I'd fix that ^^

They were lying bashed and bruised on the ground. The world around them was dark and the stumps of their arms were bleeding slowly out into the mud.

”Why do you say these things?” Sasuke asked.

”… What things?”

”You say you did all this for me because I’m your friend…” Sasuke turned to Naruto, his eyes narrowed to hide the vulnerability he felt as he spoke. ”But how can you still call me your friend when –”

Naruto would probably have lifted a hand to silence him if he could. As it was, all he could do was to turn towards Sasuke and shush him.

”You are my friend,” he said and gave Sasuke a soft smile. “And that’s that.”

”But you are not mine,” Sasuke said. The words were spoken so softly that at first he thought he’d just said them inside.

But when he saw Naruto’s eyes swim with confusion and beginning hurt he realized he’d said it out loud.

”You’re not my friend,” he repeated, the words pressed out between teeth clenched in agony. Not from his missing arm, no, but from emotional agony. The feeling of his heart breaking was something he’d hoped he would never feel again. He had guarded himself against it as best he could but in the end he had been unable to stop it.

He closed his eyes briefly and tried to collect himself.

”You’re much more than that,” he said. ”So much more…” He turned away as he felt tears push forward.

“Sasuke,” Naruto whispered. “I…”

Sasuke waited for him to say more, but his voice died out. He turned to see if he was still awake, only to find that his gaze was fixed intently upon him. He found himself unable to look away.

It was said that when the fists of two shinobi of immense skill and strength met, they could see into each other’s heart. But at that moment they did not need to meet fists. Sasuke could feel Naruto’s heart speak to him by simply looking into his eyes. He closed his eyes briefly to blink away tears and when he opened them again Naruto was still watching him. His eyes had become a little wet too, but he didn’t try to hide it.

“Naruto…” Sasuke said. His voice came out slightly rusty. “I was unable to cut you out of my life… out of my heart. Now you’ve reduced me to this… to nothing…” He whispered the last words: “I hope you’re happy.”

“Sasuke…” Naruto tried to inch closer but winched in pain. “Don’t say shit like that… Come on, look at me.”

Sasuke stared up at the sky.

“It’s dawn already,” he whispered.

“Sasuke… Listen to me…” When Sasuke neither moved nor spoke, Naruto continued. “You mean a lot to me… A lot more than…” He hesitated, like he had difficulty finding the words. “I might not be good at expressing myself always. I might say things that… Maybe they mean more than they seem…”

He tried to inch a tiny bit closer.

“Please, look at me.”

Sasuke turned his head slowly and was surprised to find how much closer Naruto suddenly was.

“When I say that you’re like a friend to me…” Naruto’s voice lowered slightly and his eyes flickered briefly to Sasuke’s mouth. “I say it only because I can’t find words to describe what I really feel.”

The first rays from the rising sun broke free over the horizon. The day was chasing the shadows away. Now Sasuke could see Naruto’s face more clearly. His hair was dirtied and matted and his skin was purple and blue, but his eyes were as clear and fierce as always.

“Why?” Sasuke whispered. He still couldn’t understand what was happening between them. His heart felt wrung out and vulnerable when he was together with Naruto, but at the same time he felt so at ease with him. Although there had been three years of absence between them, and even though their interactions before that mainly were of a hostile nature, they both still regarded each other as friends. Close friends even. How? It made no sense. Naruto should, by all means, have given up on him long ago. He should have realized he was a lost cause like everyone else had and turned his back on him. For his own good. Just look at where they were now. Both missing an arm…

“Why are you so damn stupid?” Sasuke bit out.

Naruto tried to move closer, his face contorted with pain.

“Don’t,” Sasuke growled. “You’re making it worse…”

Naruto wriggled closer despite Sasuke’s words. Finally he was so close that their shoulders touched. He was panting from the strain. The tip of his nose was barely inches from Sasuke’s.

“If we die here,” Naruto said. “At least you’ll be the last thing I see.”

Sasuke had to fight the stupid tears that somehow had become impossible to control.

“And that’s all that matters.”


	2. Interlude at the Gate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post these two drabbles separately, but then I realized that they work really well together ^^

Sasuke stopped when he saw Naruto wait for him between the trees, out of sight from the gate. He slowly walked over to him. Sasuke hadn’t thought that he would show up to see him off. He was relieved to see him, but at the same time he felt a strange, jittery nervousness come over him.

He approached Naruto slowly. They hadn’t seen each other more than once after they came back to Konoha… After their fight… Naruto had visited after Sasuke got released. It had been a strange meeting. Neither of them had known what to say to each other. And yet, Sasuke still longed to be with Naruto.

Neither of them spoke as Sasuke stopped in front of Naruto. Naruto looked unusually serious. The sleeve of his right arm hung loosely and swayed in the breeze.

“So…” Naruto said. “You’re leaving again, and I only get to hear it through Kakashi.”

Sasuke couldn’t take his gaze away from Naruto’s empty sleeve. He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them he met Naruto’s clear eyes. They were tinged with a soft sheen of sadness. Sasuke didn’t know how he could tell. The shift in emotion was so miniscule, even in Naruto’s expressive eyes. But he knew… he knew he had hurt Naruto. Again.

“I’m sorry,” he said, so softly that the words almost got caught in the breeze.

Naruto gave him a soft smile. “You don’t need to apologize. I understand why you did what you did, and I know that deep inside you didn’t really want to hurt me, or anyone else.” Naruto paused, and then he added quietly. “I also know that the one you truly wanted to hurt, was yourself.”

Sasuke averted his eyes quickly. How had Naruto known that he was apologizing for so much more than just his abrupt departure? And how was it that Naruto could know truths about him that he couldn’t even admit to in the darkness of his own solitude? Sasuke didn’t now what to say, but Naruto saved him from trying to think of something.

“I’ve got something for you,” he said. He rummaged through his pockets and handed something over to Sasuke. “Here.”

Sasuke stared down at the blue headband with the claw mark across the metal plate.

“… You held on to that?”

“Of course I did,” Naruto said. “I wanted to give it back to you when you came back!”

Sasuke reached out and touched the worn fabric. Naruto didn’t let go of it. Sasuke looked up at him. He had a strange, brittle look on his face.

“Sasuke… Don’t go,” he said. “Please… Don’t go.”

Sasuke stared at Naruto, speechless. He shook his head.

Naruto bit his teeth together and closed his eyes for a second.

“I guess there’s no getting past it, then,” he said. “You’ll leave me, again… And I’ll just have to stand here and watch you go.”

Sasuke didn’t think before he did what he did next, and maybe that was a good thing, otherwise he might never have gathered up the courage to envelop Naruto in a hug. He squeezed him tight.

“I’ll come back this time,” he whispered. “I promise.”

Naruto hesitated for one excruciatingly long moment before he returned the hug. He held Sasuke so tight he almost squeezed the air out of him.

“You better,” he grumbled. “You better come back to me. I’m not letting you run away from me again.”

Maybe they held the embrace a little longer than necessary. If so, they both chose not to linger on the implications of that. To Sasuke, it just felt so good to finally hold Naruto. He’d always fought to keep his distance to him in fear of somehow growing too attached. But right now he didn’t care about that. He was already too attached, and nothing could change that. He had tried, and it hadn’t worked out well.

When they finally pulled apart, they stood there for a long moment just looking at each other. Neither wanted to break the fragile silence first.

“I should get going…” Sasuke finally said. He didn’t move.

Naruto nodded. “Yeah.” A sad look settled over his eyes.

Sasuke slowly turned away and started walking down the road. He knew he couldn’t look back once he’d started moving. He didn’t know if he could keep his resolve if he did.

“Sasuke,” Naruto called after him.

Sasuke stopped but didn’t turn.

There was a moment of hesitance. Then…

“Can I come with you?”

Sasuke had no idea that it was what he’d been hoping to hear, but as Naruto uttered the five words it was like a heavy burden was lifted off his shoulders.

He looked at Naruto over his shoulder.

He couldn’t help but smile.

“Then you better pack quickly.”


	3. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This epilogue is super short, but I just wanted to give this story a proper closure ^^

It had been pouring down since morning. Sasuke and Naruto had been forced to take shelter under an old, rotten tree-log. It was chilly but at least they were dry. Sasuke had packed his traveling cloak around them both. Naruto leant against his side. His flak jacket and the black and orange sweater underneath had seen better days. The fingerless gloves on his left hand were worn and dirtied. His right sleeve was tied up under the stump of his arm. He had gotten used to it now, fighting with only one arm and making seals with only one hand.

All the countries were quietly rebuilding after the war. New contracts had been forged and everyone was helping everyone. No one looked twice at the two of them, two insignificant travelers, as they made their way through the countries. It was nice to be able to see the different lands and villages without having a mission to complete or an enemy to pursue. They had time to talk to people, to listen to them, and to offer their help in what seemed to them insignificant and simple ways, but which brought these people so much happiness.

It was seldom that they weren’t offered a meal and a roof over their heads while they traveled. This day was the exception, though. They were traveling through a huge forest somewhere south in Land of Earth and hadn’t seen any inhabited places for a while. It didn’t matter, though. They both enjoyed just being in each other’s presence now that they finally had the chance.

They were both starting to nod off. Despite the chill in the air, they were warm in their cocoon together. Sasuke looked at Naruto and gave him that private, soft smile that Naruto knew he would die for, and then he rested his head against Naruto’s. Naruto rested against him too and enjoyed how being so close to Sasuke made him feel so wonderfully warm inside.

During their travels, which by now had lasted for over a year, Naruto had gotten some perspective on life. In his youth, his focus on becoming Hokage had been overriding everything else. He’d been so desperate to be acknowledged that he didn’t really reflect over what being Hokage meant. He just wanted to be seen. But now he had been seen and he had been acknowledged and he knew he was loved, and he had to do a second take on the whole Hokage-thing.

For the moment, though, he was satisfied with just being with Sasuke. He wouldn’t mind traveling with him for many years to come. Just the two of them, finally together like they were supposed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! <3


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